Blue Jays send off minor league fielder away in trade
With Toronto Blue Jays fans clamouring for the team to make a big move, they’ve opted for a relatively minor one.
Today, the organization announced they’d traded utility man Otto Lopez to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.
Lopez performed remarkably well at the plate for Toronto in an admittedly small sample size. In 10 at-bats over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Lopez managed six hits across nine games, putting his career batting average at .600.
Lopez did not feature at all for the Blue Jays in 2023, spending the entirety of the season with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
In 80 games for Buffalo, he hit .251/.307/.330 with two home runs, 31 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. He was placed on the 60-day disabled list on August 1, missing the final two months of the season with a left oblique strain.
Lopez was designated for assignment last week following the Jays’ official announcement of signing free-agent pitcher Yariel Rodriguez. With a relatively crowded infield and outfield, there weren’t likely to be many opportunities for the 25-year-old Dominican-Canadian to crack Toronto’s major league roster anytime soon.
